Man charged with severely beating girl

says she was princess, needed to toughen up

June 06, 2011|By Manuel Gamiz Jr., OF THE MORNING CALL

A 24-year-old Allentown man has been charged with attempted homicide after he severely beat a 2-year-old girl for three months this year, causing a skull fracture and bruising to her eyes and body, according to court records.

Brandon Bishop, of 2928 Fernor St., admitted to an Allentown detective that he punched and kicked the 2-year-old girl, choked her, picked her up by the hair and then dropped her onto the concrete floor and hit her over the head with a metal spoon, according to court records.

When asked why he did it, Bishop said that the 2-year-old – the daughter of his fiancé – was a princess and needed to have a tougher upbringing, according to the court records.

The girl's mother, Candace Watts, was also charged after admitting she knew Bishop was abusing her daughter from March 7 until May 18 and did nothing, according to court records.

According to a criminal complaint filed Friday by Allentown Det. John Buckwalter:

Police began a child abuse investigation on May 19. Police did not say who filed the report.

On May 20, the victim was interviewed by a Lehigh County Children and Youth Services. The girl was missing clumps of hair, was bruised all over her body and was walking with a limp. The girl was immediately taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest to be examined.

Buckwalter interviewed Bishop and Watts who told him that all three moved into the Fernor Street apartment on March 7. Bishop said he was the girl's babysitter and has been abusing her since they moved into the apartment.

Bishop told police he would punch the girl in the face, head, back, stomach, legs and crotch. He said he would choke her or suffocate her by covering her mouth with his hands for 30 seconds to a minute. He also said he struck her in the head with a metal spoon and would pick her up by the hair and drop her to the ground.

Bishop told the detective he didn't want to kill the girl. He said when he abuses her, he feels like another person and that other person may be trying to kill the girl.

Watts told the detective she has seen Bishop abuse her daughter since they moved into their apartment. She said he abuses the girl for fun and has done nothing to stop the abuse.

In addition to attempted homicide, Bishop was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault and endangering the welfare of a child. He was sent to Lehigh County Prison under $300,000 bail.

Watts was charged Friday with endangering the welfare of a child and sent to county prison under $100,000 bail.